Harley Davidson Sportster

Introduction and Analysis

Our client brought us this well-ridden black Harley Davidson Sportster for a Full Restoration to remove the swirls & marks on the paintwork and restore the chrome trim. Upon initial inspection it is clear there is considerable tar and contamination on the paintwork and chrome, typical of a vehicle of this vintage. The chrome trim shows wear in the form of swirls and light marks, and the painted surfaces are heavily marred. 

Preliminary Wash & Decontamination

We covered the exposed trims and elements, and undertook a snow-foam pre-wash to prepare the bike for our decontamination and machine polish. We used a 'mini' lambs-wool mitt to clean the hard-to-reach spaces such as the frame rails, guards and around the suspension components. 

Chrome Preparation & Polish 

Following decontamination, we undertook our machine polish of the chrome trims to bring up the shine and remove the marring. The final finish showed much more reflection from the trims. 

Paintwork Restoration

Moving onto the painted parts of the bike, we were presented with quite a challenge. To effectively machine cut & polish the tank and fenders, we needed to remove trim. This gave us a good opportunity to detail individual parts of the bike separated from the frame, and reach much of the painted surfaces of the bike.

Our client opted for a Stage 4, which includes a full cut & polish as two individual steps. This allows us the opportunity to perform a heavy first stage that removes deeper marks, but often leaves cutting marks on the paintwork. These are removed by our separate step, the machine polish. For clients that opt for our Stage 5 Concours Package, we add an additional step involving a hand-refine of the cut & polished paintwork. 

Finished Result

After our secondary snow foam and pressure wash, we air-dried the bike and applied a high-gloss canauba show wax before taking our final shoot.